Business
Bula Fiji Generates A Lot Of Interest
It's a place where the who's who in tourism meet
Small economies comparable to those of developed countries gain their foreign revenue for the large part from tourism. Fiji's tourism industry, for instance, earns more than F$500 million annually and trade shows such as the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (BFTE) has generated a lot of business for the past seven years for Fiji and the tourism industries of neighbouring Pacific countries.
In fact the Westpac Banking Corporation-sponsored BFTE has created an important midpoint for international wholesalers and regional tourism operators to network and do business. "Nobody will miss BFTE," says David Voss, chairman of BFTE organising committee. "If you're a Fiji operator and you deal with international tourism you need to be there. That's how important it is. "If you wish to be in international tourism, you have to be at BFTE."
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Tourism operators from long-haul destinations are bearing the lengthy travel hours to be at BFTE looking for new markets to satisfy the growing number of offshore bound travellers coming out of Europe, United Kingdom, South America and Asia. Putting BFTE in perspective, Voss said that sellers attending the trade show derive some 65 percent of their future business from BFTE, the one-stop Fiji trade forum that forms the international tourism trade show circuit for the South Pacific which includes its Australian and New Zealand counterparts.
"BFTE is designed to assist the marketing of Fiji and the Pacific as a destination. And BFTE creates this situation where it makes it easier for a wholesaler to discuss contracts with a resort or operators on a one-to-one basis over a two and a half day period. "If it weren't for BFTE, the wholesalers would need possibly four weeks of being in Fiji and the Pacific to enable them to do the same situation. So from a cost point of view to a wholesaler, time is of the essence to those people.
"That's why we're getting a bigger demand each year for wholesalers that come to see Fiji and what we've got to offer and hopefully enter into contracts with suppliers." Total wholesale (buyers) representation at BFTE 2003, which was held in June, was 147 and 141 sellers from the Pacific ranging from the top-end resorts, travel agents, airlines, major car rental franchises to backpacker and cruise operators. Top that with over 200 delegates and overseas media. New wholesale markets this year at BFTE were Mexico, Czech Republic, Belgium, China, India and Italy. Travelling out of India may be more of a hindrance with two stopovers in Singapore and either Sydney or Auckland and on to Nadi.
But Voss says that long-haul travel generally works because the demand is there.
"Out of Europe is good because it's Europe-LA-Fiji. It's a long-haul but you're not doing stopovers. There are more Europeans now through the BFTE that are coming down to the South Pacific. They're ignoring New Zealand and Australia.
"They're purely coming to see Fiji and the other islands, so we're creating this new destination, which is the South Pacific. It's a long-haul approach but it's working because of the demand. "We'll go back on-line next year in October and I guarantee you that in the first three days there will about 60 percent to 70 percent wholesalers registering. That's how BFTE is to them to market Fiji and the South Pacific. It's important to Fiji that we increase tourism into the other islands because we get the spin-off as well."
No room for complacency though, says Voss, as regional countries dependent on tourism still need to work towards giving what visitors want, which is good accommodation, food and service. Wholesalers also may not be country specific in their Pacific promotions. The number of wholesalers are increasing each year having started off with 40 odd buyers in 1995. BFTE is constantly searching for new markets and, says Voss, as every country has an affluent society, they are targets for South Pacific tourism industries.
